Extensible step for railway-coaches.



'1.4 N. STOKES. ExENslBLE sEP FOR RAILWAY coAcHEs.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN.10.191G.

Patented June 13, 1916.

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atroz/naw jm JOHN NSTOKES l marsan srafrns raras? snaren.

JOHN N. STOKE-S, OF BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS.

EXTENSIYBLE STEP FOR RAILXVAY-COACHES.

the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to extensible steps for railway coaches and has for'its primary object to provide simple and -positively operating means for simultaneously actuating the extensible step and a. tra-p door set in the floor of the coach vestibule over the steps. l

It is another and more particular object Specification of Letters Patent.

of the invention to provide an extensible step slidably mounted beneath the series of stationary steps, a hinged` trap door, a rock shaft, and `relatively movable connections between the rock shaft, the extensible step and the trap door whereby the trap door is lifted to its open position and the step simultaneously extended when the rock shaft is actuated.

It is a further genera-l .object of the in-v Patented June 13 1916.

application :ned January 1o, 191s. serial No; 71,281.

To each of the'side walls 7 beneath the serles ofstationary steps, spaced parallel angle b ars 8 are secured, which provide guide ways 9 for the opposite edges of the obliquely disposed body plate '10 of an extensible auxiliary step, At the lower end of this oblique body plate, the step is pro- -vided with a horizontally extending tread portion l1. To the under side of the extensible step, centrally thereof, spaced longitudinally extending angle bars 12 are secured.

n 13 designates a rock shaft which is mounted in suitable bearings 14. beneath the vestibule4 platform 5 on the upper ends of the series of stationary steps 6. This platform is provided. upon one end with a crank handle l extending upwardly through the Aplatform 5 and at its other end with a downwardly extending crank arm 16. A rod 17 is connected at one ofits ends to this crank arm and has at its other end arranged between the up erends of the spaced angle bars 12 on the xtensible step and pivotall connected thereto, as indicated at 18. bell crank kever 19 is fulcrumed, upon a bolt 2O suitably fixed in lone of the supporting beams for the platforrn. To one arm partly in section, of a railway coach, showy f ing my invention applied thereto, the trap door being in open position and the auxiliary step extended; Fig. 2 1s a front elevation` the stationary steps being shown 1n dotted lines and the auxiliary step in ex-A tended position; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the trap door 1n its lower closed position and the auxiliary step in an in-V operative position. y

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates the vestibule platform of a railway coach and 6 the stationary series of steps leading thereto which are secured to depending side walls 7.

of this bell crank lever, the upper end of a rod 21 is loosely7 connected, the lower end of said rod being pivotally mounted, as at 22, betweenathe angle bars 12` adjacent to the tread 11' of theextensible step.

In the vestibuleJ platform 5, immediately above the stationary step 6, a trap door 23 is hinged, as at 24, and adaptedto close an bpening in the platform. An angularly disposed arm 25 is fixed to one of the longitudinal edges of the platform and projects, beyond the hinged end thereof. To the extremity of said arm, one end of a rod 26 is loosely connected, the other end of said arm being pivotally connected to the. other arm of the bell crank lever 19. The rear vertical wall of the upper stationary step is slotted or cut away to accommodate the rod 26 and the side wall 7 is also cut away so that this rod and the arm 25 may move therethrough when the door 23 is lowered to its closed position as shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the device, assuming that the trap door 23 .is lin its vertical open position and the auxiliary step extended as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, when it is desired to close the trap door and withdraw the step, the operator pulls uptersratent is:-

i wardlyor raises the crank handle 15, thereby` `rockingthe shaft 13. The crank arm 16 of .said shaft exerts an upward pull' through y the rod 1'( onthevgauxiliary step and slides 1 `the same upii-'ardly upon the guide channels 9 sothat the tread 11 of the step will be dis-` l posed below-the lower stationary stepy (l. The rod21 being connected to one a1-In' of thebell crank lever 19, actuates `said lever,"

and `the rod 26 connected to the `other lever A reversal of, thel the platformand extend the auxiliary'` step.

Thus,.itA Willbeseenlthat I have provided "avery `simple and positively acting 1necha-` nisni for simultaneously movingthe' auxilf` i i'aryvstep toits. operative or inoperative position andjra'isilng or lowering the trap door il above :the gr stationary "series of steps.; i As there are no'fspringsor other ea'silylireakl` `ablepartsemployedinthe construction of `the,deviceyit will `be appreciated thatfthe i i samewillfbe extremely durablein practical n y use.` ,Theinvention' can also bereadily `ap- `3 plied to the ordinaryrailway coachl at nomi- 3 nal cost and `without necessitatingany mal i, `terial alterations in the'construction thereof. i `VVhile have shown"` and describedfthe" 1 lpreferred construction and arrangement of the fse'yeral i elements, y it is, vto be understood `that the `same are susceptible of consider'- i 1 ableinodification and l, therefore, reserve .i the privilege of adopting all such legitimate Hchanges as `may be fairly embodiedwithin "theg spirit and "scope of the invention as reclaimed-. i i y Having thus fully"` described my invention, i what I desire ,to claim and secureby Let-` 1.`Tl`1e'fcombina`tion with a stationary car step,of`ari-extensibleauxiliary step mounted beneath'said stationary step, a' trap door abovethestationary step, meansconnecting the trapfdoor and' step formovement in unison including apivotedelement, a single rod vconnection betweenthe auxiliary step and fthe trap` door respectively and said element, a manually operable rock shatt,iand a coni necting element `between said shaft and the 4ai'ixiliary `step` tol move the same toits oper- `fativenor inoperative positions and through said first namedgmeans simultaneously raise ,or lower the trapdoor.

2.1 The combination with a stationary car` y step, of an` extensible auxiliary step mounted `beneath said stationary step, a trap door above the stationary step, means connecting the trap door and step for movement in unison includingr a pivoted element. a single rod connection between the` auxiliary ystep `and the trap door respectively and said element, ainanually operable rock shaft haviwbr `a crank on one end, and a rod connecting` said crank to the auxiliary step at a point in spaced relation with respect to the point of connection of the first named rod to said lstep, whereby said stepis moved to its operative or inoperative position when the rocl'cpish'aft -is actuated and the trap door simultaneously i raised or lowered.

3; The combination with a series of stationary lar steps. or' an extensible auxiliary fstep mounted beneath said lstationary steps, .ya lungedtrap door arranged abovethe staeratively connecting the respective arms of [the bell crank lever to the auxiliaryy step and the trap door, a rock shaft. and means` operatively connecting the rock shaft to the auxiliary step to move the saine to its open' ative or inoperative position and simule taneously raise or lower Vthe trap door.

` 5. The combination with a series oi' stationary carstcps, of an extensible auxiliary step mounted beneath said stationary steps,

i a hinged trap door arranged abovethe' stationarysteps, a bell crank lever, means operatively connectingthe respective arms of thebell crank lever to the auxiliary step and thetrap door, a rock shaft having an operating handle on one end and a crank on its `othereud, and a rod `connectingr said crank to the auxiliary step toinove the same to its operative or inoperative positions and sin'iultaneously raise or lower the trap door` i In testimonywhereof lvhereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

y JOHN N. STONES.

i lVitnesses lV. E. Jaciisox, J. G. MoAxnuoN.

l Copies ot'ths-patent may` vhe obtained forve cents each, bynddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

washington, D. c."` i 

